Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-04-12
THE NAVAL ACADEMY.
One of the Distinctive Institutions of An
napoIis, Capital of Maryland.

THE NAVAL ACADEMY.
One Of the Distinctive Institutions of An
naPOlis, Capital of Maryland.
Speciu! Correspondence ofthe Register
ANNAPOLIS, MD, April 9.-The way to
the Naval Academy is down a narrow
street, bOrdered with picturesque houses
and lovely yards. We walk in the gate
guarded by soldiers and at once behold a
charming stretch of we'll kept lawn, with
plenty OF shade trees, and punctuated by
monuments and cannon and other war like
ornaments. Cadets IN their neat suits
march around IN companies. They are
handsome fellows, well developed, strong
looking and intelligent. No wonder that
there are so many pretty girls and inter
ested sight-seers about, for, say what we
may, there is undOubted fascination in the
blue suits and brass buttons of these
future heroes of our future wars-Or
rather these future officers Of our future
navy.
We inspect the large buildings, see the
many pretty cottages where the officers and
their families live and look over the prac-
tice grounds and such. Describe them?
What's the use? | once heard an architect
describe a building to young lady. lie
did it thoroughly. She was all attention.
At last, when he finished his word picture,
the young lady looked upin herinnOcence
and-said: THANK you, but what is 1t like,
anyhow" On the Naval Academy grounds
YOU see large, long, brick buildings, and
plenty of them, pleasant little cottages,
and plenty OF them. What are they like?
They are like brick buildings and cot
tages.
But if you want history instead OF de
scriptiOn help yourself Annapolis Is
chOck full of il. Almost any child will
tell you that George Bancroft, the histor-
ian, is responsible for the Naval Academy.
He became Secretary of the Navy in 1915.
| He saw the need of establishing an insti-
tuition for the instruction OF naval officers.
He appointed board to examine Fort
Severn and to report upon its deSlrablllty
as the place for the academy. This fort
was an army post, the site of which was
purchased in lSOS, ut period when An
napOliS was deemed a place OF military inn
pOrtance The grounds consisted OF ten
acres, beautifully located on the Severn
river. On one of its points the patriots OF
1775 made the owner of the Peggy Stew
art, whom they suspected, run his vessel
ashore and burn her. This place was Sc
lected rs the location of the neY school.
Gradually the site was extended, until
now il embraces within and without the
academy 159 acres, with large, substantial
buildings and all the equipments OF q first
class naval institution. To be admitted
candidates must be between 10 and Is
years of age and physically sound, and as
general thing must undergo a competitive
examination.
Life in the Naval Academy grounds is
terribly exclusive There are enough peO-
pie to form q pretty big society circle, and
they are clanniSh to such a degree rs To
comprise a little aristOcracy in themselves.
The balls, OF course, are delightful as all
the cadets are excellent dancers and every
thing is done to make the visitors enjoy
themselves. But the aristOcraCy ObtrudeS
itself into the ballroom, and woe be to him
OF her upon whom 1t puts its dlsiavOr.
Here is an illustration that occurred not
many months ago. A cadet had met
very pretty girl IN Annapolis; she dressed
we'll, talked we'll and danced well. Every
body spoke well of her, but she happened
to be the daughter Of a carpenter, an hon
est, honorable man, but a carpenter. The
cadet escorted her to one of the hops. At
once aristOcraey was up in arms. Two OF
the managers waited on him and informed
him that if he took her on the floor to
dance he would be cut by his fellows and
all the exclusives. The cadets manhood
struggled against his policy, but he saw
difficulties ahead OF him, his name black
listed, and his future endangered, and so
policy won and manhood was defeated.
He passed miserable evening and never
called on the young lady after he escorted
her back home. Folly, you say? Ger
tainly il is, but if you want TO get into
Naval Academy society you'd better not
say it again.
Dozens of stories could be told about the
cadets and their pranks. The days of
hazing are over, thanks to the sovereign
power of Congress and the stern justice of
the court martial, but the 800 and odd
cadets manage to enjoy themselves as well
rs to get good education and to see the
world during the long cruises. Ii you
want to see the academy in all its glory
YOU should visit it in June when the grad
iuating exercises take place, when thOus-
ands of pretty girls and fond parents are
here, when nature and the brass bands
and the guns and the birds and the orators
are all sending forth their sweetest and
loudest elOquence.
What large building is that over
there?''
'Oh,' | thought You would ask that
Question. That is 'Porter's Folly You
don't understand? Well, there's story
to it, and here it is: When Admiral POr-
f,tSsxs superintendent of the academy he
looked upon that beautiful bluff over there
across the creek rs a splendid site for a
hospital and a naval metropolis. His OBJ
servations deepened into a conviction and
in 1858 he got the board OF visitors, who,
as agents of the Government, come down |
here every June and get fat on doing moth
ing at handsome per diem, to make this
suggestion officially. 1t was done. One
acres Of land were bought and q
hospital, costing $40, 600, was erected. Al